Of Feathers and Holding Hands
by DeadstarBliss
Summary: Five minutes ago, there had been two fully grown men. Now, there were two small children nearly drowning in a puddle of clothing on the floor. Dean/Castiel. There's some Sam/Gabriel if you squint.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Whoa, so it's been ages since I've posted anything, but I promise I have a whole bunch of stuff from all sorts of fandoms lined up - I've just been really lazy. So yeah, the disclaimer... The boys don't belong to me ****(though I wish they did)****, I'm just borrowing their meatsuits and using them as puppets. Blah, blah. On with the story.  
**

* * *

Five minutes ago, there had been two fully grown men. Now, there were two small children nearly drowning in a puddle of clothing on the floor. The witch was dead at Sam's feet, blood slowly soaking through her clothes. He reached down and tore the knife from her chest then wiped the blood off the blade on the corner of his jacket. The whole time, he was staring at the tiny forms of his older brother and his brother's best friend.

He knew the spell; the witch had been using it to turn adults into children to then cook and eat. The effects lasted two nights and there wasn't really anything he could do to reverse the damage before then. This meant that he was going to have to white-knuckle it and deal with the fact his adult companions were now, temporarily, children.

He slowly inched towards them, unsure if they even remembered him or not. "Uh, hey, little guys." He crouched down to their level to get a better look. Dean looked like Sam remembered from pictures of their childhood. If he had to make a guess, his older brother wouldn't be any more than four or five years of age. His short brown hair was a little lighter than usual, freckles dotted across his nose and cheeks and his huge green eyes stared at Sam with a mixture of shyness and uncertainty.

But, surprisingly, next to Dean was a miniature version of Castiel. Sam was pretty sure angels didn't actually have childhoods, so this must've been Jimmy Novak as a kid. Cas' dark hair was longer than usual, some strands reached down to his cheeks, but, in typical Castiel fashion, his hair still managed to stick up every which way. A small frown dared Sam to take another step towards the boy who was now hiding behind the miniature angel, the blue eyes flashing with the need to protect. But there was also discomfort on the boy's face, and a large lump trapped under the white, button up shirt that hung off him like a dress.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, buddy, I'm just trying to help out. Alright? I'm not going to hurt you." He shuffled around to Cas' left a little, the child watching his every move, and his hands reached for the shirt. With little effort, he managed to tear the cotton. Sam fell back with surprise when two black, fluffy wings popped out. Dean gave a little squeak and sidled closer to Cas. "Wings? Jesus." Castiel's extra appendages twitched and all the feathers puffed out. He watched as his little brother, with eyes wide as saucers, carefully smoothed out all the feathers again. Castiel seemed a little uncomfortable with Dean touching his wings, but didn't push him away or say anything.

Remembering the dead body on the floor, Sam realised it would probably be a good idea to get the boys out of the dank, foul smelling, blood stained apartment. The sight of half harvested bodies of various ages hanging off meat hooks attached to the ceiling couldn't be a good sight for anyone their current age. "Alright, guys, do you know who I am? Do you remember anything?" Two sets of blue and green eyes stared blankly at him. "I'll take that as a no. Well, I'm Sammy, okay? And I'm not going to hurt you. So, we have to get out of here; I'm going to take you back to the mo—... to my house, where it's safe." Castiel's arms were wrapped protectively around Dean who was trying his best to bury into his friend. Sam stared Cas in the eyes, feeling like he had to ask permission. "Is that okay?" The baby angel's deep blue eyes just flicked warily across Sam's face, taking in the adult's features – Sam took that as permission.

Carefully, he scooped the two young boys and all their extra clothing into his arms and headed for the door.

* * *

The car thundered along the road; the dull sound of tire roar and the rumbling engine strangely comforting – to both the children and the panicking adult. Something in Dean relaxed at the feel of the familiar vibrations slowly lulling him to sleep. He leant against his friend's shoulder, careful of the wing trapped between him and the seat. The other boy let his arm rest behind Dean's neck, watching him as he slowly succumbed to slumber.

_Dean_. He only knew a handful of things. For starters, the boy beside him was called Dean. And his name was Castiel. He knew that his job was to look out for Dean and be his friend. The back of his neck prickled and Castiel tilted his head up to catch the hazel eyes watching him in the rear vision mirror. Cas' eyes narrowed and he angled his body to fit against Dean's – as close to a non-verbal warning to '_back-off'_ as was possible from a four year old. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't feel he could trust this man, _Sammy_.

Sam took the hint and let his eyes return to the road. It was only a couple of minutes later when Sam checked on them again that Cas had fallen asleep too, his head resting on Dean's. Sam couldn't restrain the small smile.

* * *

Using the opportunity of the two boys being asleep, Sam very quickly ducked into the closest supermarket he could find on the way back to the motel. He grabbed a bunch of assorted things to eat and two pairs of day clothes and some pyjamas for the boys. He very well couldn't let them run around for two days in their adult shirts.

When he arrived back at the car with his arms laden with plastic bags, the boys were still safely asleep and didn't wake even when he shut the boot of the car a little louder than he'd have liked.

* * *

The afternoon sun shone orange through the motel curtains and Sam dumped his bags on the rickety table. He returned a few moments later with two sleepy boys in his arms. "Seems like the first night'll be easy; you boys look trashed." They didn't say anything; Dean just watched the strange, adult man's mouth move with drowsy, half lidded green eyes.

He placed them on the edge of a bed and Castiel instantly curled into Dean, holding the little boy close in their safe cocoon of oversized clothing. Dean accepted the embrace and seemed to relax a little and melt into the hug. No-one in their right mind couldn't think it was cute. Before the moment ended, Sam pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a photo for future blackmailing opportunities.

Sam got down on his knees so he was face to face with the children and used what he assumed was a calm, soothing voice – he didn't have very much experience with children. "Are you boys hungry? I have stuff to eat." Castiel looked up at Dean and they seemed to communicate silently. Cas then looked up at Sam and nodded. "Okay." The adult stood and started rifling through the plastic bags. He looked back at the two still wrapped around each other on the bed. "Is that all I'm going to get? Can either of you speak?" Whether or not they could, the children remained stubbornly quiet. "Whatever." Sam sighed. He placed three pre-packaged boxes of microwavable macaroni cheese in the microwave and set the timer. He leant against the bench in the kitchenette and watched his charges as the meals heated up.

Castiel seemed entirely entranced by the light and spinning plastic packages in the metal box – his wide blue eyes stared, unblinking. Sam had to supress a chuckle; it seemed Cas was still as strange as usual. The machine beeped, signalling it was done, and he popped open the door. The steaming hot pasta dishes were placed on the table beside small cartons of chocolate milk.

Sam sat at the table and started eating. Cas and Dean remained stoically on the bed. "This stuff isn't half bad for being made nearly entirely from plastic." He said conversationally. The two still remained. Sam sighed again and dropped his plastic fork on the table, turning his body to look at the shy and frightened children. "C'mon, boys, come and eat something; I'm not going to bite you, I promise." Hesitantly, Castiel started to climb down from the bed, but a panicked noise rose from Dean and the smaller boy tugged on the angel's arm desperately.

Cas made little hushing noises and gently coaxed his friend from the bed. Dean clung to Cas' arm, his wide, terrified eyes never leaving Sam's huge form. Something in the adult felt like it broke at the sight of his own brother so frightened of him, and Castiel obviously trusted him as far as he could throw him. He wondered if maybe somewhere deep down, they did remember everything and the way they were acting now was like a subconscious response to those memories. Does that mean that his brother as an adult _was_ fearful of him? Did Cas really distrust him that much? Were the both of them, as adults, just hiding these doubts from him for his own sake?

Sam shook the thoughts from his head, he wasn't Doctor fucking Phil and he didn't know what the hell he was talking about.

The two climbed up on their chairs with a bit of effort and warily tucked into their meals, eyes still flicking up to look at him every so often. The whole time they ate, sat at the table, their hands were linked. It was like from the moment they became children they hadn't stopped touching. Eating was a little difficult for Cas, as he had to use his left hand because his right hand was currently owned by Dean. Why was Cas eating anyway? He was an angel; Sam thought they didn't have to eat. Or sleep.

Sam was tired too. All this thinking and worrying was doing his head in. Once everyone was done, he stood from the table and put the empty plates and milk cartons in the bin. "Alright, kids; bath, pyjamas, bed. We all could do with the rest, I think." Sam's eyes were drawn to Cas' dark wings curling around his brother once they managed to climb off the chairs and back into their embrace again. Bath time… this was going to be fun.

* * *

Steam rose from the bathtub and two pairs of eyes stared at it like it was an abomination. "You can't go in in your clothes." Sam says, pulling Castiel's adult shirt over his head. The little boy seemed to have no shame; he was more interested in the hot water and fluffy white bubbles pooled in the porcelain tub than the fact he was stark bollock naked. Dean struggled a bit when Sam tried to help him take his shirt off. After giving up and just deciding to let him bathe in the massive shirt, he realised Dean was just trying to take it off himself. The kid got as far as getting both his arms out, but when he was trying to pull it over his head he got a little lost until his angel friend gave him a hand.

That was when Sam saw something that made his heart clench. The scar made by Cas gripping Dean tight and raising him from Perdition still marred the perfect skin of the little boy. The scar hadn't even altered in size. The brand wrapped right around Dean's shoulder to the front of his chest and the fingers rested over his shoulder blades. Sam quickly looked away and didn't make a noise or any fuss. As far as Dean knew, it was completely normal.

The boy in question seemed sheepish to be standing around unclothed, so Sam lifted his brother by his armpits and carefully placed him in the warm water. Dean gave a little sigh and relaxed against the wall of the tub, soaking in the revitalising heat. Once Dean was in, Sam lifted the angel too – Cas' little wings fluttered gently while he was in the air, like trying to replicate flying. The boy gave a shriek and pulled his legs up when his feet touched the bubbles on the water – he wasn't quite sure what they were or if they were safe. To Cas, it looked like the bubbles were eating Dean. Sam laughed and realised he may have put a little too much soap in the water. "It's alright, little guy; bubbles are fun." He lowered the angel again and let the little body slip into the water.

Nearly instantly Cas started giggling and playing with the bubbles. Dean, who'd had his eyes closed to relax, cracked one open to watch his friend. The dark haired boy scooped up a handful of bubbles and brought them up to his face, peering intently and trying to discern what the white substance was. Dean, lazily, lifted his own handful of bubbles and attached it to his face to make a beard. Then came possibly the best sound Sam had heard all day; Castiel burst out into uncontrollable laughter and his brother quickly followed with giggles of his own.

Sam raised a pile of bubbles in front of his mouth and blew gently, creating a snow like effect. Castiel made awed 'ahh' noises and held his arms in the air to try and catch the slowly falling bubbles. Sam grinned and caught Castiel's eyes. The little boy smiled at him in return and, for the first time in the last few hours, didn't look like he completely hated Sam. Relief washed over the adult like a wave – there's probably nothing worse than the idea of very young children hating you, especially when they're your friends and family.

Then Cas figured out how to make _all_ the bubbles fly up into the air – along with large quantities of water. The angel laughed again and flapped his wings. Dean's squealing laughter made the mess caused by soapy bubbles and torrents of water entirely okay.

"Okay, time to wash before there's no water left in the tub." Sam grabbed the facecloth that was on the floor beside him and squirted some of the motel's complementary liquid bath soap onto the cloth. He leant over the edge of the tub (right into the path of the splash fight the two children were engaging in) and started to gently clean Dean's back, chest, arms and face. He was careful of the scar, unsure if it hurt him or not. Once he was done, Sam attempted to wash Cas. The little boy squirmed, trying to play with the last of the bubbles still left in the bath. He washed Cas' chest, neck and face, but had a little trouble trying to clean the kid's back – the wings in the way made it quite difficult. Eventually, he gave up and tore open the sachets of 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner with his teeth.

"Close your eyes, Dean." The boy obeyed after a couple of seconds of hesitation. The silvery substance started to soap in his hair immediately and Castiel watched closely as Dean seemed to enjoy the feeling of Sam's fingers rubbing the soap in his hair. "I'm going to wash out the shampoo with water, so keep your eyes closed and head tilted back, okay?" There were no problems from Dean as he washed out the shampoo.

Castiel pushed up close to Sam, waiting eagerly, it seemed, for the adult to repeat the same process he had with Dean. Sam couldn't help but laugh fondly. "You've never done _anything_ like this before, have you, buddy?" Castiel's blue eyes simply stared happily at him, either through ignoring him or just not understanding what was being said.

Sam tore open the other sachet and dumped the contents into the longish, dark locks. He began to spread the soap across Cas' scalp with his fingers and smiled again at the content purr that slipped past the boy's lips. He took a little longer with Cas as it seemed the angel was thoroughly enjoying the massage and Dean was content to just soak in the water that was slowly starting to cool. Sam tilted Cas' head back, filled the pitcher he'd used on Dean with water from the bath and began washing all the soap out of his hair.

When he was done, little fingers threaded into the nearly black strands and revelled in the overly soft feeling of freshly conditioned hair. "Okay then, time to get out." He hoisted Dean out first, as Castiel was still enthralled with the idea of water, and took to towelling the child dry.

Once all the rogue droplets were wiped away, he helped Dean into grass green, long bottom and button up top pyjamas. The fabric had little lions doing various things all over them. The flannel was soft and Dean's hands immediately scrunched into the shirt. Dean looked up when a towel dropped on his head. He then started giggling and hummed out loud; his voice was distorted humorously as the adult vigorously rubbed the towel on Dean's head to dry his hair somewhat. Sam then lifted his brother again and perched him on the toilet where it was (mostly) dry.

It was then Castiel's turn to get out. Cas whined when he was pulled from the water but began shivering in the cold almost instantly. A fresh, dry towel then rubbed down his body and he was quickly helped into a pair of blue pyjamas the same as Dean's with little birds on them. He'd already cut slits in the back to poke Cas' wings through. Sam never thought he'd be the kind of guy to match pyjamas to eye colour and personality type, but he figured this was probably the only time _ever _in his life that he'd get to do it, so he ran with it anyway. And he had to admit, it was freaking cute.

Cas looked like a bit of a drowned rat with his hair now wet and sticking in his eyes and over his face, plus his downy wings were dripping water everywhere. Sam reached behind him and opened the bathroom cabinet. Luckily, there was a hairdryer folded up on one of the shelves. He plugged it in and held it out. "C'mere, Dean. Do you want to help your friend get dry?" Sam flicked on the switch and the hairdryer began its loud whirring. Cas immediately jumped away from the contraption, his blue eyes fearful. "No, no, it's okay, Castiel. Look!" He turned the thing on himself and used it to blow his hair back. "See? It won't hurt you." He turned it on Dean and the boy shrieked out some laughter. He then turned it on Castiel and after the initial shock of being blasted by hot air, like typical adult Castiel, the boy was enthralled and completely enraptured by the air warming him.

Sam handed the hairdryer to Dean with the instructions to use it carefully on Cas' wings. Sam took the opportunity to towel Cas' hair dry and the angel mimicked Dean by humming and allowing his voice to shudder comically under Sam's movements. By working together, they got Castiel dry. The boy's wings were fluffier than usual and Dean's hands planted themselves in Castiel's feathers. They were soft like a baby bird's feathers and the angel had a pleasant smile on his face as Dean gently stroked his wings.

"Alright, you two; let's go out and watch some TV or something before bed." Neither of the children complained as Sam lifted them in his arms.

Upon returning to the main room, the last of the afternoon light was starting to fade and Sam could see that dark clouds had rolled over during their time in the bathroom. He just pushed the thought aside and pulled the curtains closed before heading over to the couch with the two children still hanging around his neck.

Soft, warm and smelling of soap and bubbles, everyone was happy and content as the two children cuddled each other, cradled into Sam's chest and sat on the adult's lap. It was only ten or so minutes later that the two started to drift, finally succumbing to the drowsiness that had been plaguing them all afternoon.

With a quiet grunt, Sam rocked to his feet and headed over to one of the two beds in the room. Leaning down he gently let the children fall onto the bed. He was surprised when Dean's hand that wasn't fisted in Castiel's soft pyjamas reached out and grabbed Sam by the shirt. "What's the matter?" The hand just tried to tug him closer and Sam got the hint. He remembered what Dean used to do for him each night before bed when they were kids; it was what their mum apparently used to do for his older brother too. He leant down and dropped a quick kiss on the boy's forehead. "Night, Dean. Angels are…" Sam's eyes were drawn to Castiel, "watching over you. Literally." Dean's hand still didn't let go though, and Sam did it again for Cas. Only then did the little boy release his grasp and the hand went right back to his best friend, threading into the soft, black feathers of the wing that Castiel had wrapped around them both.

This was another Kodak moment. Sam snapped the picture, but only for posterity's sake; there were no seedy, ulterior motives this time. He walked across the room and turned off the TV, deciding to head in for a _really_ early night, too.


	2. Chapter 2

He frowned through his sleep and tried to push away whatever was poking him. The annoyance stopped for a few moments, until there was a flash that lit even the darkness behind his eyelids that was then followed by an almighty crash. The poking resumed with twice the intensity. Sam reluctantly opened his eyes and was met with two pairs of blue and green eyes staring fearfully at him.

Cas and Dean had their hands linked tightly, held between their chests where they were pulled close by one of Castiel's little wings wrapped protectively around Dean. His other wing was drawn in close to his back and the feathers seemed ruffled by the frightened twitching that occurred with every flash and bang.

"What's the matter, guys?" He rubbed his eyes in an effort to stay awake.

It took Sam a moment to realise, but a small voice managed to get a reply to him over the din of driving rain on a tin roof. "The others." Cas' voice was quiet and breathy as if frightened that if he made too much noise, he'd be found. Sam skipped over the fact that one of them had actually spoken for the first time and tried to reassure the young angel.

"The other what?"

"Angels. They're gonna take me away from Dean! Please don't let them take me away." Tears welled up in the large blue eyes and his little friend turned into his side and wrapped his arms around the angel's waist. Dean's forehead rested against Castiel's temple, and he squeezed him tight in the hug.

It seemed like Dean thought that if he held on tight enough, Cas wouldn't be stolen from him. And people thought Sam and Dean had a dangerously co-dependent relationship – if their child forms weren't capable of the deception and restraint of their older forms, Castiel and Dean didn't seem to be able to function without being attached at the hip.

"Cas, it's just a storm, buddy; no-one's coming after you." While this was completely true on Sam's behalf, it did remind the hunter that he hadn't put up any protective sigils or wards.

"Michael." The utter terror in Cas' voice struck a chord in Sam's chest. Sam felt his heart warm a little.

"Castiel, I promise you, Michael can't hurt you _or_ Dean anymore. You're safe." The two boys just continued to whimper at the raging storm. "Okay, look, how about I mark up some wards so absolutely _no-one_ can get in. How's that?" The angel and the boy traded glances. Dean nodded at Sam and pushed so Castiel climbed up to sit on the edge of Sam's bed, then climbed up after him to practically sit in his friend's lap.

The adult got out of bed, located the chalk paint in his rucksack and in the dark, managed to put up all the protective wards and sigils he knew that wouldn't also expel Castiel. Once he was done, he turned to the children so they could grade his work. "What do you think? Do you feel safer now?" They both agreed and managed to look relieved. "Great. Now we can all go back to sleep." He lifted the two boys around their waists and moved them from his bed back to their own. "Everyone's safe, so no need to worry." He pulled the blankets back up around their necks and ruffled the hair on their heads. He mumbled a goodnight and climbed back into his bed. He sighed contently as he got comfortable again.

The comfort was ruined, however, after another strike of lighting that sounded close enough to be concerning. Two little bodies scrambled over his to the side between him and the wall. He didn't say anything; he just rolled over to face them and pulled the both of them into his arms. Dean's back pressed against Sam's chest as he held Castiel as close as possible without the two of them merging into one being. Cas was shaking like a leaf, his wings made a gentle rustling noise with his trembles.

Sam opened one eye and studied the little boy. He allowed his fingers to card soothingly through the dark locks. "You'll be okay, Castiel – I won't let the other angels get you."

"I won't either." Dean promised too, "You're _my_ fwiend. They can't has you." His voice was soft but determined. It was as close to a life pact as a four year old could make. Sam shushed them and readjusted their blankets to ensure they were warm enough then closed his eyes for sleep again – he didn't stop his fingers from moving through Cas' hair until the angel was asleep first.

* * *

Sam woke with a sharp breath as morning light speared through hole ridden curtains, the warmth of a little body pressed against his side. His older brother, now in the body of a four year old child, and his feathery winged, angel friend were curled around each other like lovers. Their legs were tangled together under the blanket and Dean had his head tucked under Castiel's chin. The angel's arms and right wing encircled the small, fragile body of his friend and Dean's hands were loosely curled into the button up shirt of Castiel's soft pyjama top. Even asleep, Castiel was guarding Dean with his life.

Sam was sure that if they were adults, this would be the most natural position for the two of them to be in. As children, it seemed to be an unconscious, automatic embrace – another reason to wonder how much of their behaviour as children was in part due to the unrepressed urges of their adult selves.

Sam let his fingers run through Cas' hair – an echo of the comfort given the previous night. A sudden overwhelming sense of guilt choked Sam; it rose up from the depths of his chest and sat heavily in his throat. All Castiel had ever done since the brothers had met him was suffer for them, with them and under them. He had come at their every beck and call, and done things for them that no friend should ever have to do. He had pulled Dean from Hell, fallen from Heaven, fought and killed his own brothers and sisters, saved Sam from the Cage and eternity with Lucifer and Michael and other countless, unmentionable things. And only _once_ had he complained and it was only because the man was at the end of his tether – pushed to the brink of his sanity by grief, fear and pain.

And what had they given him in return? Sam could easily say he'd given the angel diddly squat. Dean… well, that was another story. Dean gave the angel himself; in all his PTSD glory and what was left of his scarred, twisted soul. But he also gave the angel companionship, someone to talk to and probably unconditional, uncomplicated love. The kind of love you had for a best friend who you'd do absolutely anything for and who knew you inside and out. Sam probably knew better than anyone, though, that there was more there. Dean wanted to give the angel more of himself but didn't know if either of them would be able to handle it.

Sam sighed again. He realised that if there was a way to keep the both of them as children, with their limited memory and uncomplicated relationship that lacked its barbs and burrs that had grown throughout years of constant battle and fighting – a completely pointless, petty thing that only adults held onto – he would. Children would be best friends one day, fight bitterly and hate each other the next, only to be absolute best friends again the day after. It isn't like that as an adult. People find small, stupid things to get upset about; they let it stew and fester and then one day, suddenly explode in a catastrophic and completely self destructive mess of petty bullshit. A child might get upset if someone takes his toy, but they know how to forgive and forget. And that was definitely something Cas and Dean needed to do.

Sam ran the back of his finger down Cas' cheek then carefully leant over and kissed the back of Dean's head. The lighter haired boy dug deeper into Castiel's warmth – the angel was only too glad to accommodate him and cradle him closer. The adult carefully crept out of the bed and pulled the warm covers tighter around the children.

He yawned and stretched, feeling the satisfying pops of his spine readjusting. If he only had one chance at giving his brother and the angel a better – or in Cas' case, his first – childhood, he'd do his damn best.

The tap rattled a little as water rushed through old pipes, but worked perfectly fine. He filled the plastic pancake mix bottle to the dotted line indicated on the side and shook the bottle to mix the water and powder. With his free hand, he fished out the well-worn, ancient looking frying pan from a cupboard under the sink and set about melting some butter on the hotplate once it heated up.

He tried to be as quiet as possible, but it seemed the pleasant smell of melted butter had roused the two little boys from their peaceful slumber. He looked at them and gave them his warmest smile. "Good morning, boys. Are you hungry? I'm cooking some pancakes." The two just blinked sleepily at him. Dean yawned widely as one fist rubbed a sleep hazy, green eye. Castiel had an atrocious case of bed hair on both his head and his feathers, and his wing was still mostly around Dean. "We're back to not talking, huh? Though, I suppose you just woke, so we'll give it a bit for you two to liven up." Sam turned back to the pan, giving a triumphant hiss of '_Yes!_' when he managed to successfully flip a half cooked pancake.

Breakfast turned out to be a raging success. The dark haired boy had immensely enjoyed the sweet breakfast treat – going so far as to get maple syrup in places it should not be. "Do you need another bath?" Sam sighed, looking at the sticky mess the child had made of himself. Dean seemed to be pretty proud he'd managed to contain the stickiness to only his face and hands. Sam stood from the table and dropped the plates into the sink then walked around to the other side and hefted the angel up to hold him away from his body so as to not get his fresh clothes dirty already. Cas' wings started fluttering gently again, like a natural reaction to try and fly while in the air. "C'mon, little buddy; we'll get you two cleaned up then changed for the day." Sam carried Castiel towards the bathroom with Dean following closely at his heels.

* * *

It had just gone nine am when he finished wiping the sticky boys clean and changed them into their day clothes. He just had to get through today, then his brother and friend would return to their true selves. Sam sat back on his haunches and took in his handiwork; Dean was dressed in a pair of small brown boots, a pair of blue jeans, a brown/green t-shirt over a white long-sleeved shirt and a dark brown, faux leather jacket with a cotton hood. Castiel was dressed in a pair of white skate shoes, some black jeans, a light blue t-shirt over a long-sleeved black shirt and a grey, cotton zip up hoodie. Sam had cut slits in his clothes to slip the angel's wings through. Luckily, thanks to the layers, it was hard to see the angel's wings were actually growing out of his body and could be passed off as a kid with an angel obsession that was wearing fake wings under his clothes.

"Good boys; you look great. Are you both warm?" A couple of shy nods made him smile. Sam gently patted the children on their heads, earning hesitant smiles in return. "Alright, let's go see what –" Sam was cut off by the shrill ringing of his mobile phone. He frowned as he searched through his jacket pocket to pull it out. "Hello?"

"Sam?"

"Bobby?"

"Why isn't Dean answering his phone? I've called it about twenty times." Sam cringed at Bobby's peeved tone.

"Uh… yeah. Dean's a bit… indisposed at the moment." Dean was definitely far more interested in Castiel and memorising the way every hair sat on his friend's head to worry about whatever Bobby was calling for. Not to mention the fact that he was four years old and totally incapable of actually completing any task Bobby set him.

"Indisposed? What the _hell_ do you mean he's indisposed? Tell him to get off his lazy butt and dispose himself!" Yeah, the older hunter certainly didn't sound like he'd take this next bit of news well.

"That's, uh… that's not going to work."

"And why on God's green Earth not?"

"Um. He – he's four years old."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Bobby's low, even tone reached him. "Boy, are you drunk?"

"No. You know that witch hunt we were on this week? Well… she turned him into a little kid. And Cas, too."

"And you didn't think to call and tell me?!" Sam had to hold the phone away from his ear a little. Bobby was pissed. Not good.

"No! Well, the spell only lasts two nights. I figured I could look after them – I'm not completely useless."

There was more silence before a world despairing sigh crackled down the line. "Then who's going to deal with the demon incursion on the next town over? All the hunters I know in the immediate area are already on jobs. This _needs_ to be dealt with; lives are at stake."

Sam's hazel eyes flicked from the mouldy bathroom tiles to Castiel leaning against Dean and playing with the other boy's little hands. "I can't take two children into the middle of a demon fight, Bobby; they can't protect themselves. I don't even know if Cas actually has any angel mojo at the moment – he's been sleeping and eating like a normal person. And Dean is... well, he's not like the Dean we know. I'd actually go as far as to say he's _shy_."

"Sam, I _need_ someone on this. You're the best and closest – it's just the next town over." Bobby was right; it was his job and this needed to be sorted.

"I can't leave them alone."

"Well then, I guess you're lucky that Uncle Gabe's in town." Sam jumped and immediately stood to face the door, his body instinctively between the intruder and the kids. He quickly relaxed (sort of) when he realised it was only Gabriel.

"Oh, no." He sighed. Sam pressed the phone to his ear again, "Bobby, I'll call you right back. Just give me a moment." He ended the call and flipped the phone shut. Gabriel leant casually against the bathroom door jamb, a lollipop in his mouth and a confident smirk on his face. Sam had to move out of the way when a thigh height body nearly collided with him.

"_Gabriel!_" Castiel ran past, arms wide as he crash tackled the archangel's legs. Gabriel's hands immediately came down to rest on Cas' head and back. It seemed that Castiel still remembered his fellow angels.

"Hey, little bro," Gabriel crouched down so he was almost eye level with his brother, "_literally_. You're tiny."

"Gabriel," Sam demanded the archangel's attention, a deep frown on his face, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know… I was just in the neighbourhood and I thought I'd drop by." Sam didn't move and remained silent. Gabriel sighed and relented. He stood to relieve the strain on his neck from looking up at Sam's giant form. Though, even fully standing, Gabriel still had to tilt his head. The powerful, adult angel sighed and dropped his eyes to the little boy nuzzling against his body. His large hands attempted to smooth down the dark, wild locks of his younger brother to no avail. "It's not every day you feel the Grace of an angel as strong and bright as Castiel's get reduced to the size of a pea. To put this into scale and some form of perspective for you, imagine if your sun suddenly became the size of an ant." Gabriel's honey coloured eyes blazed with an unexpected intensity when Sam saw them again, "So, I'm sorry if I was a little concerned and felt like I should check in. I'm not a complete asshat and I do actually care about my little brother – he's all I've got."

"Sorry. I'm sorry, Gabriel; I'm a bit stressed and feeling… overprotective at the moment." The archangel just nodded and took Sam's apology for what it was. "In case you're wondering, Cas will be fine by tomorrow morning." Dean had inched over to his current guardian and had clamped himself around the back of Sam's leg, peering curiously and maybe a little jealously at Gabriel and Castiel. Sam's hand instinctively rested in a comforting manner on the top of his little (_big_) brother's head. "A witch placed a temporary curse on them and they'll be fully adult again by sun up tomorrow morning."

Gabriel reached down and put his hands under Cas' armpits, lifting the boy to sit on his waist. "What's with the wings, little bro? Though, I suppose, you always were a bit of an exhibitionist." At the confused quirk of Sam's eyebrows, Gabriel gave a quick nod of his head and explained, "An angel showing their wings to someone is a very private, intimate thing. It's not quite the equivalent of running around with no pants, but more like showcasing your weakest parts. It's sort of like an acquiescence thing – if an angel shows you their wings, it is an act of complete trust and submission." He pauses for a moment, "Then again, if they're in a fight with another angel it's a bit like a pissing contest to see who has the bigger pair. Of wings! Not testicles. Though the second set helps as well."

Sam shook his head, trying to get the last few images out of his head. Not with all the brain bleach in the world. "I don't think I needed that last bit. Thanks."

Gabriel just shrugged his shoulders. "Though, I suppose because he's got the mentality of a child, it seems appropriate for him to be submissive to you; he sees you as the authority – angels are programmed to follow orders. However, Castiel has always been a bit faulty." Sam chuckled and picked up Dean when the boy refused to dislodge himself from Sam's leg. Gabriel looked away from his little brother and eyed Sam curiously. "Has he let you touch his wings?"

The corner of Sam's lips turned down a little as he though back over the last few hours. "Not really. It was sort of inevitable while he was bathing and getting changed, but otherwise no. He lets Dean do whatever he wants to them, though." It was Gabriel's turn to laugh a little and the archangel nodded as he adjusted his weight on his feet. Castiel squirmed out of Gabriel's arms and slid to the floor. He tugged on Dean's foot and Sam let Dean to the ground too.

Cas took Dean's hand, leading him towards the other angel, whispering, "Look, Dean; it's my big brother! Isn't he cool?" Dean nodded and pressed in close to Cas' side.

"That doesn't surprise me. Not with their 'Profound Bond' and all that." Sam figured he wasn't getting something here and skimmed past it as he remembered Bobby's call.

"So, you said you were here to check up on Cas. Do you feel like catching up with him properly?"

"Sure." Gabriel seemed genuinely excited by this idea.

"Great. Feel like taking Dean, too? I'm pretty sure Cas wouldn't let you go anywhere without him anyway."

"Of course; what kind of older brother would I be if I didn't help out once in a while?"

"A bad one. Excuse me; I have to make a call." Gabriel watched Sam turn his back as he held his phone to his ear again. "Hey, Bobby, it's me. Yeah, so what are the details?"

Two little boys stared up at Gabriel, green and blue orbs shining with childish curiosity. He stared back at them for a moment, unsure what to do. "Kids love parks, right?"


	3. Chapter 3

A fifteen minute walk in the direction of town brought Gabriel and the two little boys to a jungle gym and slide set up beside a field and small lake. There were a bunch of other kids running around, screaming and generally being children.

Castiel and Dean huddled in close to Gabriel's legs once they reached the edge of the playground. "Go on," the Archangel urged, his hands on their backs. Castiel shook his head and pressed his face into Gabriel's hip. "Cas, you and Dean should go play with the other kids. I'm going to sit right here on this bench and watch, okay?" Neither of the kids budged and inch, so he crouched down to their level and pulled them both into a hug. "Cas, being a kid is a special thing – especially for angels." Watery blue eyes peered up at him under dark eyelashes. "You have to make the most of this… you get to share being a child with Dean – you have no idea how lucky you are. So do me a favour; _please_ enjoy this moment before you have to grow up. You deserve this."

Gabriel had no idea if Cas could even really understand what he was talking about. He was just hoping that somewhere, deep down, he could sense the urgency and longing in the adult's voice. Eventually, Cas nodded and whispered, "Okay, big brother."

"Good boy." He looked at Dean, "How about you take your little friend to the top of the slide and show him how to do it?" Dean nodded slowly, his eyes obviously watching the other kids running around. Gabriel smiled again. "The other kids won't hurt you. You're big boys and can play on your own if you don't want to play with them." He stood up again and headed towards the bench.

Dean linked his fingers with Castiel and led the angel over to the slide. A little girl in pig tails and a dress giggled with laughter as she went down the plastic slope. Dean helped Cas climb up the ladder, letting the fledgling angel go first.

When Cas reached the top, he stopped and stared down the drop. It wasn't high or steep, but to a kid it always looked more intimidating than it was. Castiel had frozen and Dean seemed concerned. "Wha'ssa matter, Cas?"

"Dean, I don't like this." He made to climb back down, but Dean was already halfway up the ladder and right behind him.

"It's okay, Cas; I'll jus' go with you." He instructed the angel to sit down at the top and Dean climbed all the way up to sit behind Cas. He wrapped his arms around Cas' waist, careful of his wings. "You ready?" Castiel shook his head no, but Dean just tightened his hug and pushed off, sending them slipping down the slide.

They landed at the bottom with a bit of a stumble, but managed to stay upright. Castiel blushed when Dean helped him remain on his feet. "That was… fun." Dean just smiled a smile that said 'I told you so' and took hold of Cas' hand again, leading him to the swings.

Dean helped Cas sit on one of the empty seats then walked around behind him to push. Almost instantly, Cas lit up and bubbled with laughter. Dean giggled too, overjoyed by his friend's happiness. He pushed him as high as he could. Cas held on tightly with both hands, but urged his friend to let him go higher. "It's like flying, Dean!" He laughed. After a while, he used his shoes as brakes and let the swing come to a stop. Dean looked confused. "Your turn." Happily, they swapped and Dean jumped in the seat and let Castiel push him.

* * *

From his place on the bench, Gabriel watched them with a content smile. Castiel was probably the first angel to ever have the mentality of a child. When angels are first created, they still have to be taught and trained… but they aren't like children; they don't have the same sense of innocence and wonderment about the world around them. Angels don't giggle and laugh at flying on swings; angels fight in wars and fly with their wings to wherever they are next needed. Gabriel took another bite of his chocolate and washed it down with some soda as he continued to think. Of all the angels to have existed, no-one deserved this respite from his angelic way of life more so than Castiel – he is both more human and more of an angel at the same time than any of his brethren have ever been. Gabriel was so pleased his favourite little brother got to experience this freedom, even if it was only for a day.

* * *

Tired from all the pushing and swinging and giggling breathlessly, they headed to the fort. Once they were in, they sat together against one of the walls. There were other kids in there as well. One kid, who seemed to be a bit older and larger for his age than usual, turned to them with a sneer.

"Boys aren't supposed to hold hands." He jeered, towering over them.

Castiel frowned. He was confused as to why this boy was acting like what they were doing was bad. It was perfectly natural for them; he liked holding Dean's hand – it let him know the other boy was right beside him where he could protect him. "Dean is my friend."

"Don't you mean boyfriend?"

"He is a boy and he is my friend. Yes." The older boy mustn't have been very smart, Cas decided. He felt sorry for the kid and his lack of higher brain function, but he was scaring Dean and it was time for them to go. Castiel stood and pulled Dean up by his hand. The smaller of the two boys instantly hid behind him, peering over Cas' shoulder at the chubby boy.

"Eeeww! You two are gross. If you're his boyfriend, it means you're a faggot and you're gross. That's what my Daddy tells me." A couple of the other kids laughed and jeered as well. "Boys aren't supposed to love other boys."

Castiel frowned again. "Then your father sounds like a mean man. I'm allowed to love my best friend if I want to. C'mon, Dean." He allowed Dean to walk in front of him, so Castiel could place himself between his friend and the bully.

"What's with the toy fairy wings, faggot?" The bully rushed over and yanked hard on one of Cas' wings. A couple of feathers came away in the bully's hand. The angel gave a cry of pain and before anyone could blink, Dean had rushed past Cas and pushed the bully as hard as he could. The older boy fell to his arse and stared up at the kid half his size that was panting and shaking with barely restrained rage. Castiel was keening quietly as he cradled his hurt wing to his body.

And then suddenly the bully was on his feet again and had shoved Dean so hard the little boy went flying off the side of the fort. Castiel forgot about his feathers and all sound went mute as he watched his friend fall in slow motion. Then, the next thing he heard was Dean's pained scream and agonized wailing.

Castiel jumped to the ground without any thought for his own safety. He stumbled and fell to his knees, grazing them on the rubberized ground, but paid it no mind as he ran over to Dean. The green eyed boy was curled up on the ground, screaming and clutching his arm. All the other children and even the adults in the playground had stopped to watch, unsure what to do. He could hear Gabriel's pounding footsteps as he ran over to them. Cas dropped to his knees and touched Dean wherever he could, trying to be reassuring as he mumbled soothing nonsense – his face, chest, temple, shoulder, hair. Gabriel reached them and immediately scooped Dean into his arms. The little boy shoved his face into Gabriel's jumper, trying to stifle his unstoppable crying.

Dean was safe with his big brother for now. Castiel had a new mission. The boy who had pushed Dean had sheepishly climbed to the ground to see what he had done. The kid did look genuinely regretful for what he did, but that wasn't good enough for Cas – this kid had hurt his best friend and it made an angry, awful emotion like he'd never felt before burn white hot in his heart. Castiel screamed and with a fluttering of wings, had tackled the bully to the ground and then proceeded to punch, kick, bite and scratch wherever he could; all this while practically blind through the tears pouring down his face. The bully was pinned under Castiel's weight, though the boy was smaller than him. _No one_ hurt Dean.

Gabriel gave a shocked cry and hauled Castiel off the kid by his hoodie. The baby angel finally let out a pained, choked sob and as his big brother adjusted Dean carefully so he could hold the both of them to his chest, the fledgling began to cry in earnest. He did whatever he could to get close to Dean without hurting the other boy's arm while being cradled by Gabriel. "Okay, that's enough fun for today, I think. We need to get Dean home and have a look at him." Gabriel couldn't fly with the young boys as they wouldn't be able to cope with the pressure it puts on their bodies. Even as adults, he knew Sam and Dean hated being flown with Cas. So, carrying the crying children, he started on the fifteen minute walk back to the motel. The playground was left silent and shocked in their wake.

Crying with the surprise of being attacked, and thoroughly beaten in the process, the bully looked down at the bunch of soft, black feathers still clutched in his chubby fist.

* * *

The crying had stopped by the time he returned to the motel. Castiel had gone quiet while he watched Dean with sharp blue eyes. A small frown marred the angel's face every time Dean made a little whimpering noise from being jostled. Gabriel would always murmur a soft apology and kiss the crown of both boys' heads.

He used his power to unlock the motel door - he knew Sam would be off on the hunt by now. He carefully let Dean slide down to the bed. Dean held his injured arm close to his chest and Castiel immediately latched onto him, his dark little wings encircling the human protectively.

A sadness settled across Gabriel. Though Castiel was supposed to be a soldier, he'd abandoned his post and become the sole guardian of Dean Winchester and, by extension, Sam. It was plain to see that his failure to protect Dean at the playground was greatly troubling his little brother. Gabriel knew from experience with real guardian angels that whenever they failed to protect their charge or any harm came to them, no matter how small, it always sent the guardians for a spin. Often, the guardians became depressed or felt worthless. And Gabriel could see it now in his little brother - the kid was trying to make it up by protecting Dean from things that proved harmless, like Gabriel himself.

"I know how you're feeling, Cas, but you gotta let me have a look at Dean; he could be really hurt and I need to see to be able to fix it." The fledgling just narrowed his eyes at Gabriel. "Don't make me order you, Cas. You could be hurting Dean even more by not letting me have a look. You don't want to let that happen, do you?" He felt immensely guilty for playing that card, but everything he said was true. Castiel's eyes went wide and he practically jumped away from Dean.

Gabriel crouched in front of Dean, and took hold of his arm. It was definitely broken. "Ouch." Dean whimpered but tried his best to remain quiet. Behind him, Gabriel could hear Cas and his wings twitching with the urge to just try and hug away all of Dean's pain.

"It's okay, Deano; this won't hurt a bit." He wrapped his palm around the break and allowed his Grace to flow around the bone and stitch it back together. All Dean could feel was a pleasant, soothing warmth. "It'll only be a little achy until your body realises it's not broken anymore. Oh!" He was surprised when Dean rushed forward and flung his arms around Gabriel's neck, holding tightly.

"Thank you." He whispered. Gabriel felt a rush of warmth. He could see now why Castiel was so fascinated by humans; they were adorable.

"Okay, kid, enough with the fluff." Castiel was practically hopping from foot to foot with anxiety. "You might want to go hug your little buddy over there. He looks like he's about to explode." Dean giggled and climbed down from the bed. Castiel ran over and nearly squeezed the breath out of Dean in a crushing embrace.

They both sank to the floor under Cas' weight, still hugging as the angel chanted over and over again, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Dean must've whispered something to him because Castiel suddenly went quiet and buried his face in Dean's neck. If he knew humans as well as he thought he did, he could easily surmise what the little boy had said.

Gabriel scooped the boys from the floor and placed them on the couch. He used his power to flick the TV on to some cartoons to entertain the boys as he picked up the mobile phone lying on top of Castiel's currently unused trench coat. Gabriel chuckled as he went through the contact list and found there were only three numbers in it; Dean's, Sam's and Bobby's.

He selected Sam's number and waited for him to answer. "No need to be alarmed, Sammy, but I just thought I should call you to report that a fat bastard of a kid broke Dean's arm and Castiel then proceeded to beat the living crap out of him."

Gabriel was cut off by Sam's shouted "What?! Gabriel, you were supposed to look after them!"

"Hey, don't worry, kiddo; it was just kids being kids. I've healed Dean up and he's perfectly fine. I just felt I should let you know."

"I'm coming home right now."

"Sam, no."

"Yes, Gabriel. Dean's my brother and he's been hurt. There's another hunter here who is perfectly capable of dealing with this by himself. I'll be home in an hour." With that, the line clicked and greeted the archangel with an annoying beep.

Gabriel chuckled wearily and shook his head, joining the two kids cuddled up on the couch. "Winchesters... I swear."


	4. Chapter 4

True to his word, only a little over an hour later Sam returned to the motel. He rushed into the room, dropping his hunting satchel by the door and heading straight for his brother. As Gabriel expected, Castiel's immediate reaction was to hold Dean close and puff out all his feathers in an entirely threatening way. Sam was taken aback. Not so much by Castiel's threat, but the fact he had done it at all. The only thing missing was a growl and bearing of teeth from the little angel.

Sam turned to Gabriel, shock written all over his face. "Yeah, he's going to do that for a little while. It's a natural angel response to failing who you're charged to protect." Gabriel watched Cas wrap Dean in a warm cocoon of protective feathers. "But it wasn't Castiel's fault. He's a pretty much powerless angel while he's a child, and no-one could know what was to happen."

"I don't blame him for anything. I can imagine his reaction to the kid who pushed Dean would have been adequate." Sam sighed. Dean hadn't said anything to Sam, so the adult left them to it. "He's not hurt, right?" Sam got some beer from the mini-fridge in the kitchen and cracked open one for him and one for Gabriel. The archangel stared at what was proffered to him before finally taking it and giving the liquid a sniff. "Gabe, it's not going to kill you."

The angel rolled his eyes and took a deep pull, sighing with contentment. "No, Dean is perfectly alright. I healed his bone completely and even strengthened it a little." Sam nodded and sat back in his recliner. Gabriel watched the colourful images play across the screen of the TV. Both Dean and Castiel seemed perfectly happy to sit and watch them for the rest of the afternoon. But these were the last few hours they were going to have as children, and both Sam and Gabriel wanted to make up for the disaster that was the playground.

"It's just gone half one. Feel like getting some lunch?" Sam thought it sounded like a wonderful idea, but he pulled an unamused face when Gabriel held up a chocolate bar. "That doesn't consist entirely of chocolate."

* * *

Dean and Castiel had been fairly quiet all afternoon. They'd eaten their chosen meals with little fanfare and just sat murmuring to each other under their breaths while they waited for the adults to finish eating. The restaurant was little more than a fancy diner, but no-one seemed to care.

"You know I could've just magicked us up a better meal back at the motel, right?" Gabriel groaned, poking at his pathetic excuse for a shepherd's pie. Sam looked at his salad which was little more than weeds with some chicken and hard cheese thrown in.

"I know, but I wanted to take them out. They both seemed to enjoy their meals. And they get free ice-cream here, too." The two children had their foreheads pressed together, eyes slightly crossed from their proximity, as they conversed quietly. Sam smiled at the sight. He was dreading when Dean and Cas had to return to their adult forms. He knew that he couldn't keep them this way because they were all still hunters, and they weren't allowed to live that sort of life. Sam was cherishing every moment they got like this, and he was hoping they were too.

"They only reason they enjoyed their meals, is because they're kids and don't know better. And I'm pretty sure the ice-cream they serve here is that pig fat stuff." Gabriel shuddered at the atrocity and had to resist the urge to whip up his own gourmet icy treat. Sam rolled his eyes at the angel's whining. Were all angels such babies about everything?

"At least they got to go out." That was Sam's final word on the matter. The two kids perked up when a little bowl each of ice-cream with sprinkles were placed in front of them. The look in their eyes alone was worth the bad food and smell of feet that pervaded the restaurant.

* * *

It was just gone four in the afternoon when they got back to the motel, because Gabriel had insisted that they stopped at a parlour and got proper ice-cream. "_I refuse to let their memory of the creamy goodness as children be tainted by that pig's wallop they served back there._" The angel was so fired up, Sam didn't dare to argue. And he wanted ice-cream too, so it was a win-win situation.

The children immediately climbed up onto their bed and resumed the little game they had been playing between themselves from earlier. It seemed like they'd lean in really close and the first to smile or blink lost. Small things entertain small minds, Sam assumed.

Sam fetched a couple of beers and Gabriel didn't turn his nose up at it this time. "See? This stuff grows on you." Sam smirked.

"Yeah, like a fungal infection." Sam's smirk disappeared and Gabriel chuckled evilly. The two spent an hour talking and Sam took the chance to give Gabriel a rundown of what the demons had been planning during the hunt he went on. From what Sam and his accomplice had gathered, there was a 'motherbitch' demon that was summoning lower level demons to slowly possess and infiltrate the town – a gradual take over. Gabriel seemed a little concerned by this.

Their conversation was interrupted by Cas climbing up into Gabriel's lap. Dean stood awkwardly in front of Sam until the adult reached over and pulled him up to mirror Cas. "Is it wrong that Dean and I like to hug?"

Sam's eyes went wide and he stared at Gabriel, unsure how to answer. Luckily, the angel took charge. "Not at all, buddy. You're so lucky to be such good friends."

"Cas is my best fwiend ever. And I love him." Dean's voice was so quiet that even in the near silence of the motel room, everyone had to strain to hear him.

"But the boy at park said it was wrong for a boy and a boy to love each other. But why is it wrong? How can it be wrong when I love Dean so much?" Cas' worried voice and the expression on Dean's face made Sam want to find the kid who had not only broken Dean's arm, but also made them worry about their friendship, and… well… shout at him, probably. You can't punch kids. As much as he'd like to.

"It's not wrong. There's nothing wrong with it at all." Sam soothed.

"But the kid said his dad had told him it was bad. He said that people who did that were called faggots. And he must be right, because dads are never wrong. Are they, big brother?" Castiel's head leaned back on Gabriel's shoulder as he stared up at him.

The archangel smiled sadly and brushed Cas' hair off his forehead. "_Our_ dad is never wrong. That boy's father most certainly was. Any love you have for Dean and he has for you, you have to cherish – it is a very special thing you two have and you can't let people calling you disgusting names get in the way of that. Okay, boys?" Both the kids nodded at him. "Good, how about you go play for a bit?" They climbed down and headed back to their bed, feeling much happier and at ease.

Sam groaned, letting his face fall into his hands. "Jesus. I never thought I'd have to have that conversation with _Dean_ and _Cas_ of all people."

Sam could see Gabriel's jaw clenching. "That's the one thing I hate about you humans; you have so much hate for each other. Had I known that's what that little bag of dicks was telling them, I'd have smote his arse right there and then." At Sam's expectant look, Gabriel shrugged. "So I'm a hypocrite, sue me."

The adult Winchester shook his head with a grin and stood when Gabriel got up. "Never mind what happened at the park. Thanks for looking after them today, Gabriel." He placed a hand warmly on the archangel's shoulder.

"Not a problem, kiddo. Cas is my little bro and believe it or not, but I'm quite fond of the lot of you."

Sam smiled lopsidedly. "Our very own blessings from an almighty archangel – how lucky are we?"

"Don't let it go to your head; I'm not going to come and bail you out of trouble every time you do something stupid."

"That blessing isn't refundable for Karma, is it?"

"Not a chance, Sammy." Without really thinking about it, Sam ducked forward and gave his friend a sort of manly, half hug. He cleared his throat when he stepped back. Gabriel had a shocked, confused expression on his face.

"What was that?"

"Shut up, Gabe." Sam grunted, trying to hide his blush. The angel ruffled Sam's hair affectionately, earning a growl and glare from the human.

"Come here, Cassy." Hands linked with Dean, because God forbid they stopped touching for _five_ _seconds_, Castiel stumbled towards his big brother. "I've gotta go now. You'll be going to bed soon anyway, right?" Instantly, Castiel's big blue eyes started to well with tears. "Hey, none of that now; I'll see you again really soon."

"I don't want you to go." Cas clamped himself to his brother's leg, wings drooping low on his back.

"That's nice of you to say, but I have to go home too."

Curious eyes bright with tears, the child looked up at him, "Home to Heaven?" He asked.

Gabriel nodded slowly. "Yeah; I've got… chores to do and Dad'll be really cross with me if I don't do them. Do you want Dad to be cross with me?"

"No!" Cas hugged him tight again and pressed his face into the top of Gabriel's leg.

"Then you're going to have to say goodbye and let me go, huh?" Cas shook his head and the archangel laughed. "I'll come and see you within the next few days, okay? You'll be all grown up by then." Reluctantly, Castiel pulled away and wiped his tears on his jumper sleeve.

"Okay." He sniffed, "Goodbye, big brother."

"Bye, little dude. Catch you later, Dean." The boy in question waved shyly. "Right, well. I guess it's time for me to blow this popsicle stand. Later, kids." With a flashy show of his wings – mainly to show off in front of Sam – Gabriel flew away. The fluttering of wings still audible once the angel was gone.

"Whoa! Dean, Dean, did you see his wings?! They were so big and cool! I hope my wings will be like that one day." Cas' own little black ones twitched reflexively when Dean threaded his fingers into the soft feathers and smiled tenderly at his friend.

"Alright, boys; bath time." Sam called, heading towards the bathroom to run the water.

"Yay!" Cas cheered, dragging Dean along behind him.

* * *

Castiel enjoyed his bath as much as the first time. He shook his wings when he got out, spraying Sam – who'd managed to remain mostly dry this time – and Dean with water and drenching him. Both boys were confused when Sam dressed them back in their adult t-shirts.

"Why are we in these?" Cas was shivering slightly in the cool air of the living area. Sam figured he could let them wear the long bottoms until they went to bed.

"Because you'll be all grown up tomorrow morning, and you won't fit in your pyjamas anymore. So you have to make sure to take your pants off before you go to sleep, okay?" Cas nodded. Dean's eyes were filled with excitement.

"I'll be big and strong like you? An adult!" Dean's grin was the widest Sam had seen it as long as he'd been a kid. Sam had to force his returning smile. Kid Dean seemed to have forgotten most of the trauma that was his whole life. Right now, all he knew was Castiel was his very best friend in the whole world, Gabriel was really cool and Sam was just some guy who set him on edge a little. The last bit hurt Sam a little; he could see fear and uncertainty in Dean's eyes every time the kid looked at him. At least he was better now than when this first started.

"Yeah, an adult. You'll get to drive Baby, too."

Dean gasped and latched onto Castiel. "We'll be adults, Cas! We can drive the car to the park all the time! Or go get your big brother and have ice-cream."

The angel joined in Dean's excitement. The two of them bounced around the room and Sam could only watch on with a heavy heart. "Alright, you two, calm down. Half an hour then it's bedtime."

"But we aren't tired." Cas protested, pouting. Sam blinked. Goddamn, the angel was a cute kid. He shook his head, not about to be cajoled by a child.

"You will be, especially after the big day you've had." Sam picked up the remote to the television and turned it on to some prime time game show. "Let's watch some TV, okay?" The two little boys climbed up onto the couch, and curled up together. Sam looked down when Dean's back leant on his arm. He smiled at the little boy who returned it shyly.

He let them stay up a little longer than he originally planned, trying to make every last minute with them count. But finally, he could see they were yawning and blinking with heavy eyes. He stood and scooped them both into his arms. "No. Not yet." Cas whined, but his head fell onto Sam's shoulder and his eyes drifted shut. Sam was pretty sure Dean was already asleep.

"C'mon, boys." He murmured softly. After removing their pyjama bottoms, leaving them in just their adult shirts and some really loose boxers that were practically shorts on them, Sam pulled the blanket up over them. Dean immediately reached for Castiel, tucking himself under the angel's chin. Cas lifted the blanket a bit so he could wrap his wing around Dean. They were lying on their sides facing each other. Sam shook his head with a soft smile. If those two didn't just _realise_ once they were adults again… he'd knock their heads together. "I don't care if this is awkward for you tomorrow, but I want to let you know that I love you both." He dropped a quick kiss on both their heads and bid them good night. Sam returned to the couch to watch a little more TV and sneak a quick drink (or three) of whiskey.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean woke the next morning feeling refreshed and alive like never before. There was also another feeling he wasn't quite used to. Was it… _happiness_? He was yet to actually open his eyes and something soft kept tickling his cheek.

When he managed to pry his eyes open, he was met with a pair equally as shocked as his. There were _massive_ black wings encircling him, holding him in an embrace that felt more comforting than even that of his own mother. The wings were so large that the one that rested across the top of Dean reached over the other edge of the bed and the tip rested on the floor. "C-Cas?"

"Dean? Why am I in your bed?" Something in Dean expected him to hear a higher, more childish voice. His brow furrowed as something tried to force its way to the front of his mind.

"I don't know. Why can I see your wings? How am I even in _bed_? Last thing I remember was the witch…" Instantly Dean's hands were touching and searching. He wasn't sure what for, but he felt he needed to check Castiel was okay, comfort him even. "Are you alright? Something must've happened to us. What about Sammy?!"

"I'm right here, Dean." Sam's voice came from behind him and Dean craned his neck to look at his brother and ensure he was okay. The younger man was sat on the edge of his bed calmly. "Before you start, I'm fine. However, I have some questions of my own; how much do you remember of the last two days?"

Dean turned back to Castiel. The fact that they hadn't leapt apart out of bed yet had Sam rolling his eyes. Their close proximity to each other had sudden flashes of memory burst through Dean's mind. He remembered feathers and hugs and soft, dark hair that smelled sweet and clean. He remembered holding hands and sleeping in the back of the car. "Something happened to us. Jeez, Cas and I were barely apart."

"You can say that again." Sam laughed. The look he got from Dean silenced him pretty quick.

Cas started to remember too. Through the haze he recalled eating cheesy pasta, going down a slide with Dean right behind him and flying on a swing set. Then he remembered some kid yanking on his wings, Dean attacking the guy and then watching his friend be pushed off a child's fort and break his arm. He felt the echoes of untameable fury and the need to protect Dean and hurt the kid who'd done this. "I let Dean get his arm broken."

Dean jerked in Cas' arms a little, they were still entwined tightly and had yet to move. Any other time and they both would've been brooding on either side of the room after being caught like this, but something was stopping them – a familiar, warm feeling. "I don't think you let it happen, Cas. If I remember right, you nearly killed the kid afterwards. Then Gabriel took us home. He healed my arm. Do you remember?"

"That's right, my brother. _Oh_." Cas' eyes shut as he played through the memories. "He actually acted like my big brother. He looked after us. It was… _nice_."

"Then we went to that restaurant and we started playing that game. You always won because you made me smile." Slowly, matching, content smiles spread across their faces. Sam was so pleased. He was so glad that they remembered and were _happy_. Mostly, he was relieved that his brother and Cas had given up their game of pretending around each other. "God, we didn't stop hugging."

"I couldn't let you get hurt. You were - _are_ my best friend and I felt like I had to protect you from everything. You were so small and quiet."

"Thanks, Cas; I copped enough of that when I was a kid the _first_ time."

"And I just loved you so much." The room was silent for a few good minutes. Sam realised he should get up and leave them in privacy, and he was careful to be quiet on the way out. He didn't want to break this bubble of temporary stillness – it was like they'd etched out their own point in time and were content in just sitting there for a while.

"Damnit, Cas, I still do." Dean leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Cas'. The angel closed his eyes and the next thing he knew, Dean's lips were against his and it was all a little confusing but it felt so good and right and he didn't want to move. His wings, which were stubbornly refusing to disappear, twitched and betrayed his feelings of being overjoyed and just… just something he felt as a kid, but it was stronger now and a little different.

But then he remembered something Gabriel had told him, "_Any love you have for Dean and he has for you, you have to cherish – it is a very special thing you two have and you can't let people calling you disgusting names get in the way of that._" Cas let any last remaining doubts he had slip away and allowed himself to give everything he had to Dean. If the man asked, Cas would probably give him his Grace, become mortal and human – he'd do anything for Dean. These feelings were new and scared him a little, but his stubbornness and determination meant he'd figure it out – hopefully with Dean at his side and holding his hand.


End file.
